July 16, 2003 - 20:27 AMT
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT INFORMAL VISIT TO BAKU EXPECTED NEXT WEEK
Russian president's informal visit to Baku is to take place July 22. As reported by "Turan" agency according to Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolay Ryabov. In the ambassador's words, in the course of the visit Vladimir Putin and Heydar Aliyev will discuss the issues of the bilateral cooperation, regional security and Karabakh settlement. In reply to the question whether Putin's arrival should be considered as support to Ilham Aliyev's candidature for the Azeri president post, N. Ryabov said it to be the question of the Azeri people's choice. "We will work with the leader the people choose", - he added. Ryabov emphasized that the visit was planned even for May 10 by the Azeri president's jubilee.